Flooding compositions are materials designed to occupy void spaces in telecommunication cables, such as the void spaces typically found around and between buffer tubes commonly used in fiber optic cables. Additionally, flooding compositions can be used as filling materials to suspend and protect optical fibers inside buffer tubes. Flooding compositions are free-flowing at elevated temperatures (such as those temperatures used when filling a telecommunication cable), and readily gel at lower temperatures to avoid dripping at room temperature. Additionally, easy-to-clean and non-messy flooding compositions are desirable for ease of installation and prevention of environmental contamination. Although advances have been made in the art of flooding compounds, improvements are still desired.
Another important property of a flooding composition is its compatibility with polymer materials used in cable constructions such as polyolefin, i.e., low gel pickup for good property retention and cable longevity. Current commercial flooding compounds are based on synthetic hydrocarbons; they are messy, grease/wax-like materials that stick to surfaces that come in contact with them. In case of a spill, they are not environmentally friendly. The wire and cable industry has a continuing interest in flooding compositions that exhibit reduced stickiness, reduced absorption into materials used in the manufacture of cable components such as buffer tubes, jackets, etc., and more environmental friendly.